Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, DC November 16, 1998
(Phone: 256-961-6226 - Russian 586-75-60)
Kyle Herring
NASA Moscow Office
(Phone: 256/961-6225 - Russian 586-75-60)
NOTE TO EDITORS: N98-69
ZARYA BRIEFINGS AND LAUNCH COVERAGE SET
The launch of the first component of the new International
Space Station, the Russian-built, U.S.-owned Zarya Control Module,
will be the subject of a preflight briefing at the Russian Mission
Control Center in Korolev, Russia, outside Moscow, at 8 a.m. EST (
4:00 p.m. Moscow time) on Nov. 17. The news conference will take
place just three days before Zarya is scheduled to be launched
atop a Russian Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakstan.
The news conference will be broadcast live on NASA
Television, but questions can only be asked by reporters at the
Russian Mission Control Center.
The participants will include:
Gretchen McClain, Deputy Associate Administrator for Space
Station
Randy Brinkley, International Space Station (ISS) Program
Manager
Mikhail Sinelchikov, Director of Piloted Programs, Russian
Space Agency
Alain Poirier, Director General, Space Systems, Canadian
Space Agency
Frank Longhurst, Head, Manned Spaceflight Program, European
Space Agency
Tsuguo Tadakawa, Deputy Director, Space Utilization Promotion
Dept., National
Space Development Agency of Japan
Two days later, on Nov. 19, video of the final prelaunch
preparations for Zarya and the rollout of the Proton rocket to its
launch pad at Baikonur will be presented on the NASA TV Video File
at noon EST.
Based on Zarya's current planned launch time of 1:40 a.m. EST
(9:40 a.m. Moscow time, 11:40 a.m. Baikonur time,) on Nov. 20,
NASA public affairs commentary and live television coverage of the
countdown and the launch will begin at 1:10 a.m. EST (9:10 a.m.
Moscow time).
A postlaunch news conference will be held at Baikonur with
senior level officials approximately two hours after launch. It
is expected to be broadcast live on NASA Television with questions
from reporters at Baikonur.
A second postlaunch news conference will be held at the
Russian Mission Control Center following the Baikonur conference
to give a technical status report on Zarya. It will be broadcast
live on NASA TV with questions from reporters in Moscow.
Written status reports on Zarya's operation in orbit will be
issued on subsequent days addressing major activation events
leading up to the launch of the Unity connecting module aboard
Endeavour on the first shuttle assembly mission, STS-88, on
December 3. Following the STS-88 mission, with Zarya and Unity
mated as the first Space Station elements, written status reports
and status briefings on the unpiloted flight of the International
Space Station will be provided periodically.
Note: News media planning to attend the news conferences or the
Zarya launch from the Russian Mission Control Center, Korolev, who
are not already accredited, should request press accreditation
from the Russian press office at 011-7-095-187-2344, or by calling
the NASA public affairs office in Moscow at 256-961-6225, 6226, or
Russian line 586-75-60.
-end-